Rockfall Grant Recipient Spotlight: Collective Oyster Recycling and Restoration

What if restaurant waste could help rebuild an ecosystem?

Across the Connecticut shoreline, the Collective Oyster Recycling and Restoration (CORR) program is doing exactly that: transforming discarded oyster shells into the foundation for restoring oyster reefs in Long Island Sound.

Oyster shells are essential to the life cycle of oysters. They provide the hard surface (substrate) needed for oyster larvae (spat) to attach and grow. Through CORR’s shell recycling network, shells that would otherwise end up in landfills are collected from 16 communities, including Essex, Middletown, Clinton, Old Saybrook, New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, and redirected back into the Sound to rebuild critical habitat.

Restoring Oyster Reefs in Long Island Sound

With support from The Rockfall Foundation’s Environmental Grant Program, CORR will expand its core operations: weekly shell collection from participating restaurants, transportation of shells to a curing site in East Haven, and ongoing maintenance of shell piles during a required six-month curing process. Once processed, the shell is transported to restoration sites in Milford and Branford, where it is placed on oyster beds in Bridgeport, Stratford, and Branford.

Measurable Environmental Impact and Expansion

Recycled shell supports oyster reef regeneration, which improves water quality through natural filtration, increases biodiversity by creating habitat for up to 300 marine species, and contributes to reducing nutrient pollution in Long Island Sound. In 2026 alone, CORR aims to increase shell recovery by 10% and expand its restaurant network into Westbrook and East Lyme, while identifying new restoration opportunities along the Eastern Connecticut shoreline.

The Rockfall Foundation is grateful for CORR’s creativity and resilience in building a model that is both practical and impactful. Their work demonstrates what is possible when science, community partnerships, and environmental stewardship come together with a clear and actionable vision. To learn more about The Rockfall Foundation’s Annual Environmental Grant recipients, click here.